Latch means for folding oxford eyeglasses



Y 1936- v. TANASSO ET AL 2,046,708

LATCH MEANS FOR FOLDING OXFORD EYEGLASSES Filed April 25, 1955 INVENTORSPatented July 7, 1936 PATENT OFFICE LATCH MEANS FOR FOLDING EYEGLASSESOXFORD Vincent Tanasso, Harrison, and Jacob J. Pomeranz, Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application April 23,

Claims.

This invention relates, generally, to improvements in eyeglasses of thefoldable type; and the invention has reference, more particularly, toimproved latch means for releasably retain- 5 ing such frames in foldedcondition.

This invention has for its principal object to provide a simple and yetdurable and easily manipulated latch means for the purposes mentioned;the same comprising a minimum number of parts which can be economicallyproduced and assembled.

The invention has for a further object to pro vide a novel constructionlatch means pivotally associated with the handle element of the frame ofthe eyeglasses, said latch means including means to aid in spacing thelenses andrims: of the frame in spaced apart relation when these partsare folded together.

Other objects of this invention, not at this time more particularlyenumerated, will appear in the following detailed description of" thesame.

Illustrative embodiments of this invention are shown in the accompanyingdrawing, in which:-

Fig. l is an inside or rear face view of a foldable eyeglass framehaving one form of the novel latch means according to this invention,

the frame being shown in its open or unfolded condition; Fig. 2 is afragmentary side edge elevation on an enlarged scale of the lens rims ofthe frame as folded together and held so related by the novel latchmeans; Fig. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal section. of the handle andlatch bearing lens rim; Fig. 4 is a detail transverse vertical section,taken on line 4-4 in Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a vertical longitudinal sectionthrough the parts as shown and disposed in Fig. 2; Fig. 6 is afragmentary plan view of the rims about to move into folded and latchedrelation; and Fig. 7 is a horizontal section, taken on line 1-1 in Fig.2.

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of a modified form of latch meansaccording to this invention; Fig.- 9 is a side end elevation of thesame; and

Fig. 10 is a vertical longitudinal section; said Figs. 9 and 10 showingthe frame rims in folded and latched relation.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above describedviews, to indicate corresponding parts.

' Referring to the drawing, this invention is shown embodied in a pairof eyeglasses of the foldable or oxford type, comprising a pair of rimsI and 2 to support the respective lenses 3 and 4. Connecting said rimsbetween their 1935, Serial No. 17,804

upper margins is a spring bridge 5, the same being joined at itsrespective ends to the respective rims by hinge connections comprisingyokes 6 pivotally coupled by pintles I to abutments or knuckles 8, allas heretofore known with respect 6 to folded eyeglass frames. Suitablymounted on opposed inner lateral portions of the rims I and 2 arenose-guard elements 9 as is customary.

One of the rims, as e. g. the rim I, is provided on the outer lateral,portion of its periphery 10 with a keeper element I0 having a notch II,on at least one side of which, viz. the leading side thereof relativethe folding movement of rim I toward rim 2, is provided an inclinedshoulder or cam-portion I2, substantially tangent to the 15 rimperiphery.

The other rim, as e. g. the rim 2, is provided on an outer lateralportion of its periphery with a finger-piece or handle I3, disposedsubstantially in the plane of said rim and adapted to project radiallytherefrom. Mounted in connection with said finger-piece orhandl'e I3 isthe novel latch means which cooperates with the notched keeper elementIII of rim I.

Formed in the finger-piece or handle I3, adjacent to the rim 2, is acavity I4 to receive the pivoted end I5 of an upstanding latch elementI6, and extending transversely through the handle body and across thecavity I4 is a pivot pin I'I upon which said end portion I5 of the latchelement is pivotally mounted for rocking movement toward and from therim 2; the inner side of said end portion I5 being stopped against therim periphery to thus determine its normal upstanding position. At itsfree end, said latch element is provided with a thumb button or head:18. At its outer side, intermediate the pivoted end portion I5 and saidthumb button or head I8, the latch element I6 is provided with anoutwardly offset undercut shoulder I9 which is opposed to the underlyingportion of the cavity I4. Opening upwardly through the underface of saidshoulder I9 into the body of the latch element is a spring-seat 20.Extending between the spring-seat 20 and the bottom of the cavity I4,outwardly of the pivoted end portion I5 of the latch element I6 is acoiled compression spring 2|. The tension of this spring exerts aninwardly swinging thrust upon the latch element adapted to yieldinglyhold the same in its normal upstanding effective position. At its innerside, intermediate the pivoted end portion I5 and said thumb button orhead I8, the latch element is inwardly cut away to form a supportingshoulder 22. Preferably the thumb 55 button or head I8 is provided withan inwardly projecting end portion 23 overhanging and spaced above saidshoulder 22 to thereby form a laterally and inwardly open receivingnotch 24 adapted to receive and embrace rim I, when the latter is foldedover rim 2. At least one side of said supporting shoulder 22, viz. theside toward which rim I moves when folded over rim 2, is downwardly andoutwardly chamfered to form an ascending inclined lift cam portion 25,which is engageable by rim I as it moves into folded relation to rim 2,whereby said rim I is caused to ride onto said shoulder 22 and besupported thereby in spaced relation to rim 2 when folded over thelatter and secured by the latch elements effective engagement in thenotch II of the keeper element I0. When the eyeglass frame is folded,the rim I is swung toward the rim 2 and over the rear face of thelatter, thus carrying the keeper element ID of rim I toward the latchelement I6 associated with rim 2. As rim I approaches completely foldedposition (see Fig. 6), the cam-portion I2 of the keeper element engagesthe latch element I6 which yields outwardly against its spring tensionuntil the keeper notch II is aligned or registered therewith, whereuponthe spring tension swings the latch element inwardly causing the same toenter said notch II (see Figs. 2, 5 and 7). As the rim I thus moves intofolded and latched relation to rim 2, the lift cam portion 25 of thelatch element also exercises its lifting effect upon the rim I, so thatwhen the locking operation is completed, the latter will be fullyengaged by the supporting shoulder 22, and thereby maintained in spacedrelation to the underlying rim 2, whereby the lenses supported by therims are also held spaced apart against rubbing contact one withanother, and consequently risk of scratching or other injury to the lenssurfaces is avoided. This is of especial advantage when the lenses areof the toric type.

It is desirable to also provide means at the inner lateral sides of therims I and 2 to space such portions thereof apart when folded andlatched as above described, and to also provide a stop means which willprevent the folded rim I from backing or shifting inwardly away from thelatch element as operatively engaged with the notched keeper element I0,whereby accidental release of the rims from secured folded relationmight occur. The means for these purposes is substantially similar tothe arrangement and construction thereof disclosed and claimed in ourco-pending application for United States Letters Patent Ser. No.736,634, and comprises a spacer shoulder 26 which is affixed to the rearface of rim 2 at a point more or less diametrically opposite thelocation of the latch element I6. This spacer shoulder 26 is provided,at the end thereof toward which rim I moves when swung to foldedrelation to rim 2, with an upwardly inclined lift cam 21 extendingbetween the rear face plane of rim I to the top of said spacer shoulder26. Afiixed to the outer side of said spacer shoulder 26, and having afree end portion projecting above the top of the latter, is a stopprojection or lug 28 against which the periphery of rim I is abuttedwhen folded and latched relative to rim 2, thereby holding rim I frombacking away from the latching means.

It will be obvious that the latch element may be quickly and easilyreleased by grasping the finger-piece or handle I3 between the fingerand thumb, and then by means of the thumb drawing outwardly against thethumb button or lead I8 to thereby swing outwardly the latch element I6so that it is withdrawn from the notch II of keeper element It],whereupon the stored tension of the spring bridge 5 will spread the rimsI and 2 to open or unfolded condition ready for use.

It will be obvious from the above that a very simple and efficient latchmeans is provided calculated not only to serve the desired function oflocking the rims of the eyeglass frame in folded relation, but alsofunctioning to space the folded rims and their lenses apart againstrubbing or other contact one with another. This novel and simplearrangement eliminates the necessity for employing additional, separateand bulky spacing projections or like means in affixed relation to therims, thereby not only improving the appearance of the frames, but doingaway with the cost and work of producing and 'assembling such additionaland separate parts.

The novel latch means within the scope and principles above set forthmay be more or less varied in form and design. An example of suchvariation is disclosed by the modified construction of latch meansillustrated in Figs. 8 to 10 inclusive of the drawing. In this modifiedconstruction, the finger piece or handle I6 is provided with bearingears 29 to support a transverse hinge pin 30. The latch elementcomprises a body 3I formed at lower end with a transversely extendingspacer shoulder 32 having, at least on the side thereof toward which rimI moves when folded over rim 2, an inclined or tapered end portion 33functioning as a lift cam portion. Projecting from the outer face ofsaid spacer shoulder 32 are a pair of laterally spaced perforateknuckles 34 which pivotally engage the hinge pin 30. A torsional coilspring 35 engaged around the hinge pin 30 between said knuckles, andhaving its ends respectively engaging the finger-piece or handle I6 andsaid latch body, operates to yieldably hold the latch means in effectiveupstanding position. The free end of the latch body 3I is provided withthe thumb button or head 36 the inner end of which preferably overhangsand is spaced above the spacer shoulder 32, thus providing the laterallyand inwardly open receiving notch adapted to receive and embrace rim I,when the latter is folded over rim 2. In the exercise of its latchingand releasing functions as well as its function in spacing the rims, themodified latch means is manipulated and operates in a mannersubstantially similar to that already above set forth in connection withthe first described form of latch means.

Attention is called to the fact that, in both of the above describedconstructions, when the notched form of keeper element is employed, andwhen the rim I is embraced between the overhanging end of the thumbbutton or head and spacer or supporting shoulder of the latch means, therim I, when in folded position, is locked against any displacingmovements in either direction horizontally sidewise of the latch means,and also against any displacing movements vertically of the latch means.In conjunction with such retention of rim I against the enumerateddisplacing movements, the stop projection or lug 28 also holds the rim Iagainst backing inwardly away from the latching means, and consequentlythe rims are retained against all possible relative shifts which mighttend to accidentally release the same from the desired folded and lockedcondition.

Various changes other than those pointed out could be made in the novellatch means herein described and shown, and many apparently widelydifferent embodiments of this invention could be made without departingfrom the scope thereof as defined in the following claims. It istherefore intended that all matter contained in the above description orshown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrativeand not in a limiting sense.

We claim:

1. In folding eyeglasses having lens rims adapted to be normally urgedapart by spring means, a notched keeper element on one rim, anupstanding latch means having its lower end portion pivotally associatedwith the other rim, spring means to yieldingly press said latch meanstoward the periphery of said last mentioned rim, said latch means beingadapted to enter said notched keeper element when the first mentionedrim is folded over said last mentioned rim, a thumb button at the freeend of said latch means, and the inner face of said latch means beingindented between its pivoted lower end portion and its thumb button toprovide a supporting shoulder upwardly offset from the plane of saidlast mentioned rim, said shoulder being adapted to underlie said firstmentioned rim when so folded and latched thereby spacing the folded rimsand their lenses apart.

2. In folding eyeglasses having lens rims adapted to be normally urgedapart by spring means, a keeper element on one rim having a taperingportion substantially tangent to the rim periphery, a handle memberrigidly connected with the periphery of the other rim, a latch meanspivotally connected with said handle member, spring means to yieldinglypress said latch means to upstanding relation to the periphery of saidsecond mentioned rim and in the path of movement of said keeper elementand its tapering portion when said first mentioned rim is foldedrelative to and over said second mentioned rim, and the inner side ofsaid latch means being indented to provide a supporting shoulder toupwardly offset from the plane of said second mentioned rim, saidshoulder being adapted to underlie said first mentioned rim when sofolded and latched thereby spacing the folded rims and their lensesapart.

3. In folding eyeglasses having lens rims adapted to be normally urgedapart by spring means, a notched keeper element on one rim having atapering portion between the notch thereof and the rim periphery, ahandle member rigidly connected with the periphery of the other rim, alatch means pivotally connected with said handle member, spring means toyieldingly press said latch means to upstanding relation to theperiphery of said second mentioned rim and in the path of movement ofsaid keeper element and its tapering portion when said first mentionedrim is folded relative to and over said second mentioned rim, and theinner side of said latch means being indented to provide a supportingshoulder upwardly offset from the plane of said second mentioned rim,said shoulder being adapted to underlie said first mentioned rim whenfolded, said shoulder having a portion downwardly inclined to the planeof said second mentioned rim to lift the first mentioned rim onto saidshoulder when the same is folded over said second mentioned rim.

4. In folding eyeglasses having lens rims adapted to be normally urgedapart by spring means, a keeper element on one rim, a handle memberextending from the periphery of the other rim, an upstanding latch meanspivotally associated with said handle member, said latch means having anundercut shoulder portion at its outer side, spring means between saidshoulder portion and said handle member adapted to yieldingly press saidlatch means to upstanding relation to the periphery of said lastmentioned rim, said latch means being adapted to engage said keepermeans when said first mentioned rim is folded over said second mentionedrim, and the inner side of said latch means being indented to provide asupporting shoulder to underlie said first mentioned rim when foldedthereby spacing the folded rims and their lenses apart.

5. In folding eyeglasses having lens rims adapted to be normally urgedapart by spring means, a keeper element on one rim, a handle memberextending from the periphery of the other rim, an upstanding latch meanspivotally associated with said handle member, said latch means having anundercut shoulder portion at its outer side, spring means between saidshoulder portion and said handle member adapted to yieldingly press saidlatch means to upstanding relation to the periphery of said lastmentioned rim, said latch means being adapted to engage said keepermeans when said first mentioned rim is folded over said second mentionedrim, and the inner side of said latch means being indented to provide asupporting shoulder to underlie said first mentioned rim when foldedthereby spacing the folded rims and their lenses apart, said shoulderhaving an inclined lift cam portion to guide the latter rim onto thesame.

VINCENT TANASSO. JACOB J. POMERANZ.

